1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to eyelets and a press for attachment of such eyelets, and more particularly to a press machine for attachment of eyelets which is capable of allowing the eyelet attachment to be carried out using a single die, thereby achieving an improvement in the efficiency of the eyelet attachment. The present invention also relates to an eyelet having a configuration capable of not only allowing the eyelet to be firmly attached to a cloth without being separated from the cloth due to an external force repeatedly applied to the eyelet or cloth, but also allowing the eyelet to be made of a material containing a large amount of polycarbonate, thereby eliminating the requirement of disposing the eyelet separately from the cloth upon disposal of the cloth and pollution of the environment caused by the eyelet disposed.
2. Description of the Related Art
Eyelets are generally attached to waterproof cloths used to cover articles placed in a storehouse or on a quay, beach, or pleasure ground, in order to firmly hold those waterproof cloths using wires. Such eyelets may also be attached to tents or covers for vehicles.
For attachment of such eyelets, press machines have been used. An example of a conventional press machine is disclosed in Korean Utility Model Publication No. 94-2209, which is incorporated herein by this reference thereto.
The press machine disclosed in the publication includes a table arranged at the front portion of a body of the machine. A die, which is used when punching a cloth to be attached with eyelets, is arranged on the table. Another die, which is used when attaching eyelets to the cloth, is arranged on the table. Rods are connected to the dies to transmit a drive force from a drive means mounted on the machine body to those dies, thereby laterally moving the dies, respectively.
A punch adapted to perforate a hole through the cloth and a press adapted to attach an is eyelet to the cloth are arranged above the dies, respectively, in such a fashion that they can slide laterally together. The punch and press can also move vertically by a drive force transmitted thereto from another drive means.
The present invention provides a press machine for attachment of eyelets including a simple die configuration capable of allowing the user to easily carry out an eyelet attachment process on a table. The press machine includes a die having a rest room for receiving a washer fed from a washer box, a guide hole vertically formed through the rest room, and guide means for guiding the washer to the rest room, a table received in the rest room in such a fashion that it is vertically slidable, the table serving as a punch die for punching a cloth to be attached with eyelets while serving as a support for supporting the washer received in the rest room during an operation for attaching an eyelet to the cloth, a rack vertically mounted to a lower surface of the table in such a fashion that it is vertically slidable through the guide hole of the die in the rest room, a drive motor adapted to provide a drive force to the rack, the drive motor having a pinion engaged with the rack, and a control unit for controlling the drive motor. An eyelet is also provided which has a configuration capable of not only allowing the eyelet to be firmly attached to a cloth without being separated from the cloth due to an external force repeatedly applied to the eyelet or cloth, but also allowing the eyelet to be made of a material containing a large amount of polycarbonate.
The operation of the press machine having the above-mentioned configuration is herein described. First, a cloth is laid on the punching die. When the press machine then operates, the punch perforates a hole through the cloth while moving downwardly. After the punching operation, the base of an eyelet is laid on the cloth in such a fashion that it is vertically aligned with the hole. The washer of the eyelet is also arranged in the second die in such a fashion that it is vertically aligned with the hole.
As the press machine further operates, the rods advance by virtue of a drive force transmitted from the drive means, thereby causing the punching die to be laterally shifted. At the same time, the second die, which serves to couple the elements of the eyelet, is disposed beneath the press.
When the press machine further operates under the condition in which the dies are adjusted in position as mentioned above, both the punch and press move downwardly, thereby depressing the upper surface of the base. As a result, the lower end of the base passes through the hole of the cloth and then fits around the washer. Thus, the eyelet is firmly fixed to the cloth.
A plurality of eyelets is attached to the cloth in the above-mentioned manner while being uniformly spaced from one another in accordance with the using purpose thereof.
However, the above-mentioned conventional pressing machine has a complicated arrangement in which a pair of laterally slidable dies is used to attach an eyelet to a cloth. As a result, there is a drawback in that a degradation in workability occurs.
Since the dies serve to attach an eyelet to a cloth while sliding laterally, the resulting attachment of the eyelet may be unstable. This may result in an easy separation of the eyelet from the cloth.
Meanwhile, a variety of eyelet configurations have been proposed. An example of a conventional eyelet configuration is disclosed in Korean Utility Model Laid-open Publication No. 95-14715.
The eyelet disclosed in the publication includes a flange member and a cap both made of a metal. The flange member is provided at its upper surface with repeated grooves and protrusions. The flange member is also provided at its central portion with a vertically extending bushing. The bushing is integral with the flange member and has a central through hole. An annular engaging protrusion is also formed on the outer surface of the bushing.
The cap is provided at its lower surface with repeated grooves and protrusions engageable with the grooves and protrusions of the flange member. The cap also has, at its central portion, a through hole communicating with the through hole of the flange member.
An annular engaging groove is formed at the inner surface of the through hole of the cap. The engaging protrusion of the bushing is engageable with the engaging groove.
The procedure for attaching the eyelet having the above-mentioned configuration to a cloth will now be described.
First, the bushing of the flange member is fixed to a punched portion of the cloth in such a fashion that the grooves and protrusions formed at the upper surface of the flange member are in close contact with the lower surface of the cloth.
Thereafter, the cap is fitted around the bushing of the flange member fixed to the cloth in such a fashion that the bushing is inserted into the through hole of the cap until the engaging protrusion of the bushing engages with the engaging groove of the cap. In this state, the grooves and protrusions formed at the lower surface of the cap are in close contact with the upper surface of the cloth.
Since the eyelet has a configuration in which the engaging protrusion of the bushing engages with the engaging groove of the cap, there is a problem in that the engaging protrusion may be easily disengaged from the engaging groove due to an external force repeatedly applied to the eyelet. In this case, the eyelet may be separated from the cloth.
Meanwhile, the eyelet attached to the cloth may be in an upright state when the cloth is folded. In this state, if the cloth is forcibly folded while being pressed, the upright cloth may then cause the cloth to be damaged. The user, who holds the cloth, may also receive injury to his hand by the eyelet.
Where the cloth is disposed of at the end of the life span thereof, unless the eyelet is separated from the cloth, the eyelet may cause pollution of the environment because it is made of a metal. Although this problem may be solved by disposing the eyelet separately from the cloth, this separation work is troublesome.
Therefore, an object of the invention is to provide a press machine for eyelets including a simple die configuration capable of allowing the user to easily carry out an eyelet attachment process on a table.
Another object of the invention is to provide an eyelet having a configuration capable of not only allowing the eyelet to be firmly attached to a cloth without being separated from the cloth due to an external force repeatedly applied to the eyelet or cloth, but also allowing the eyelet to be made of a material containing a large amount of polycarbonate, thereby eliminating the requirement of disposing the eyelet separately from the cloth upon disposal of the cloth and pollution of the environment caused by the eyelet disposed.
Another object of the invention is to provide an eyelet having a configuration capable of preventing the eyelet from damaging the cloth or the hand of the user when the cloth is folded for storage thereof.
In accordance with one aspect, the present invention provides a press machine for attachment of eyelets comprising: a body having a rest room for receiving a washer fed from a washer box, a guide hole vertically formed through the rest room, and guide means for guiding the washer to the rest room; a table received in the rest room in such a fashion that it is vertically slidable, the table serving as a punch die for punching a cloth to be attached with eyelets while serving as a support for supporting the washer received in the rest room during an operation for attaching an eyelet to the cloth; a rack vertically mounted to a lower surface of the table in such a fashion that it is vertically slidable through the guide hole of the die in the rest room; a drive motor adapted to provide a drive force to the rack, the drive motor having a pinion engaged with the rack; and a control unit for controlling the drive motor.
In accordance with another aspect, the present invention provides an eyelet comprising: an annular rim adapted to be in close contact with an upper surface of a cloth, to be attached with the eyelet, in an urging state; a plurality of uniformly spaced prongs downwardly protruded from a lower surface of the rim and adapted to be stuck in the cloth, each of the prongs having a radially outwardly inclined shape; a boss extending downwardly from an inner edge of the rim, the boss being fitted in a hole formed through the cloth; a flange adapted to be in close contact with a lower surface of the cloth; and a plurality of pushing protrusions upwardly protruded from an upper surface of the flange and arranged radially inwardly of the prongs, the pushing protrusions serving to push the lower surface of the cloth.
Other objects and aspects of the invention will become apparent from the following description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.